Ilonggos help rescue Guimaras mangoes

The popular sweet mangoes of Guimaras Island are always in demand.

ILOILO CITY—The ma­n­go industry of Guimaras has been helped by increased demand in Ilo­ilo despite continued quarantine measures.

Ronnie Morante, Guimaras provincial agriculturist, said the expected slump in sales had been offset by orders from Iloilo City and towns of Iloilo province due to the inability of other mango suppliers to transport their product.

“The impact has been minimized. In fact, for every mango producer, there are about three buyers who are already waiting for deli­very,” Morante told the Inquirer.

He said an average of two to three tons of mangoes had been sold daily since the community quarantine measures were implemented.

The mangoes, Guimaras’ main agricultural product, are transported by motorboat and dropped off at Parola Wharf in Iloilo City where these are picked up by the buyers.

“There is no face-to-face interaction between the supplier and buyer to maintain social distancing,” Morante said.

Payments are transacted through bank transfer or mo­ney payment centers.

Producers had prepared 85 tons for the province’s annual Manggahan Festival from May 11 to 22. The festival, however, was canceled due to the pandemic.

Aside from marketing the fresh mangoes online, some are processed to dried mangoes and puree to prolong their shelf life.

“Social media and online transactions have significantly helped us, especially since suppliers cannot meet the increased demand of Iloilo,” Morante said.